Barilla launches gluten free pasta in Australia

One of the world’s largest pasta producers, Barilla, has announced it will enter Australia’s rapidly growing gluten-free foods category with the introduction of a new gluten-free pasta range.

Demand for gluten-free pasta in Australia has grown significantly over the last 12 months, according to Barilla, and 28 per cent of the population now follow a gluten-free diet to some degree. The Barilla gluten-free pasta range is being launched in Australia after it was a “strong success” in the US.

“The product was launched in the US late last year and in just three months gained 16 per cent market share,” said Carly King, Marketing Manager Barilla Australia. “Similar results have been achieved in Europe,” she said.

“Gluten-free pasta now represents nine per cent of the total Australian pasta market and grew 38 per cent last year,” Ms King said. “We see a significant opportunity for our product,” she said.

Barilla said extensive research was undertaken to “ensure the gluten-free pasta maintained the quality, taste and characteristics” of the Company’s regular pasta.

“Our unique formulation of flours that are naturally gluten-free (white maize, yellow maize and rice flour) rather than refined starches results in a product that delivers an ‘al dente’ texture and neutral taste, but also eliminates common undesirable gluten-free pasta traits like grittiness,” Ms King said.

Barilla said the product had been designed to complement the Barilla sauce range, which is also gluten-free.

Barilla is a fourth-generation family-owned company, founded in 1877 and based in Parma, Italy. It employs over 8,000 people worldwide and exports to more than 100 countries.

Barilla’s gluten-free pasta is available in spaghetti, elbows and penne and is produced in a dedicated gluten-free facility. The spaghetti and elbows are currently available in Woolworths supermarkets across Victoria for RRP $3.69, and the penne at leading independent supermarkets across Victoria. Barilla said it planned to distribute the products nationally later in 2014.